Stages Apart
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day two hundred and forty-five: BON JOVI 7/7 It's back to normal life now... but they'd rather be back in that other world.


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th cycle. Now cycle 12!_

_So I've been wanting to do an artist showcase for a while, and then a few weeks ago a friend had a whole lot of Bon Jovi CDs in her car and I went "That is perfect!" So I chose seven songs, and… Here we go!_  
**7 of 7: "I'll Be There For You"**

* * *

**"Stages Apart"  
Jesse/Rachel**

The rush and the fever of regionals had run its course and their normal lives had started back and as much as they had all been able to hide under the work and the preparation and not think about a lot of the other things…

Only now the dust had settled, smoke had lifted… everything was clear and in that clarity there was just one thing that he could think of or see in his mind, and he felt it with heavy regret.

He'd gone into this thing at Shelby Corcoran's behest, feeling for her situation, and of course always eager for a chance to exercise his craft. Rachel Berry was just a name, a big voice in a compact ball of fury. He had to admit, as cool as he'd made it sound, he had been impressed with her from the first time he'd heard her. He felt he'd gotten all he needed to know about her from watching her sing. It was going to be a piece of cake.

All it had taken to make him realize he'd had it all wrong was to say and sing… hello.

In just a few minutes, sharing a song with her, he'd seen something else, another part of her… He'd known that very day that he'd end up breaking her heart if he went through with this. He hadn't hesitated too long, figuring he wasn't going to be affected by any of this.

Once again, and that much more painfully so, he'd come to see he was wrong. She wasn't going to be the only one who got hurt. But he had to see it through to the end now. There was one way he could envision this ending, but he was going to carry on.

Back in the halls of Carmel now, in his place, he trailed on down to the auditorium stage, drawn there as he went on thinking and thinking. He hesitated, breathing out before moving down to gain the stage. The place was presently – and thankfully – empty, leaving him the chance to concentrate.

He would wonder if Miss Corcoran had chosen him with this precise potential in mind, if she'd known what this would become… No, she couldn't have, right? She certainly hadn't told him to do all he'd done. He'd chosen the romance over the friendship route.

He didn't have all if any of the answers, didn't figure he would.

He wasn't the only one.

Miles away, walking down the halls of McKinley, Rachel had stopped in front of her own auditorium, just as drawn in as he'd been to… reflect.

To Jesse it was still something he needed to come to understand. He was certain he could feel it all deep inside him, he just hadn't figured out the words to say it. To Rachel it was less about figuring out the what and more about digging out some answer as to what on earth she was supposed to do. She didn't want to forget, even if some part of her wished that she could.

They each stood on their own stages, and in a moment, they came to a stop, breathing in, then out… Something in them knew… out there, in another school, another auditorium, there stood someone, much like them, with the same song in their heart, like they could hear one another.

_[J] "I guess this time you're really leaving / I heard your suitcase say goodbye / And as my broken heart lies bleeding / You say true love it's suicide"_

_[R] "You say you've cried a thousand rivers / And now you're swimming for the shore / You left me drowning in my tears / And you won't save me anymore"_

_[J] "Now I'm praying to God you'll give me one more chance, girl_

_I'll be there for you / These five words I swear to you / When you breathe I want to be the air for you / I'll be there for you" / [JR] "I'd live and I'd die for you / I'd steal the sun from the sky for you / Words can't say what a love can do / I'll be there for you"_

_[R] "I know you know we've had some good times / Now they have their own hiding place / I can promise you tomorrow / But I can't buy back yesterday"_

_[J] "And Baby you know my hands are dirty / But I wanted to be your valentine / I'll be the water when you get thirsty, baby / When you get drunk, I'll be the wine_

_I'll be there for you / These five words I swear to you / When you breathe I want to be the air for you / I'll be there for you" / [JR] "I'd live and I'd die for you / Steal the sun from the sky for you / Words can't say what a love can do / I'll be there for you"_

_[J] "And I wasn't there when you were happy / I wasn't there when you were down / I didn't mean to miss your birthday, baby / I wish I'd seen you blow those candles out_

_Oh!_

_I'll be there for you / These five words I swear to you / When you breathe I want to be the air for you_

_I'll be there for you / I'd live and I'd die for you / Steal the sun from the sky for you / Words can't say what a love can do / I'll be there for"_

_[JR] "I'll be there for you / These five words I swear to you / When you breathe I want to be the air for you / I'll be there for you / I'd live and I'd die for you / Steal the sun from the sky for you / Words can't say what a love can do / I'll be there for you"_

Jesse could still feel what it had been like to be part of her world, her club. He'd never say it, but he did miss some of it. Even as they'd all stood, on the stage at regionals, he'd looked to her and to the others, dressed in black and gold… He would have taken defeat to still be standing with them.

But he'd pushed them away, pushed her away, because… it was what he was supposed to do, what they expected of him. And maybe he'd spend the rest of his life regretting all of it.

Or maybe he'd get his second chance at her… maybe.

THE END


End file.
